2011 - week 1

Square bead. Sterling silver. I had a hard time getting this dapped neatly because my tools aren't the right size for these pieces of metal. Next time I'm going to make a smaller bead to see if I can't do better.

Wicked cool!

I whipped this set up last weekend to go with my witch costume. I intended it to be single-wear so I just used cheap base metal components. In the end I liked it so much that I think I'm going to dismantle it and remake it with sterling. When I do that I'll retake the photos and hopefully get a better one.

Black druzy and lava, green and black seed beads, and assorted metal components.

Spinny spinner and more teeny tiny bling

This ring was harder to flare evenly than I expected. I think I just assumed that each side would flare neatly. Worked okay in the end though, and it fits me perfectly. I'm going to take full credit for that even though I started it so long ago that I honestly don't remember what size I intended it to be.



More teeny tiny stud earrings. The white one is the one I made previously and the butterfly is just in the photo for scale. It looks a little tarnished because it probably is - I've been wearing this little post almost daily since I finished it.

Bouncing back after a dry spell

I've been in a bit of a slump at my bench this summer. The rings I showed in the last couple of posts came together quite easily and then it seemed that everything I touched was a disaster. So I took a little break, did a little organization and planning, started prepping the walls of my workroom for painting, and then finished these. I worked on them on and off for ages - all through my disaster period - and I think I always expected them to end up as little molten blobs on my soldering block. In the end though everything just clicked and they came together nicely.

Deep red garnets. Lustrous freshwater pearl drops. Sterling.

I also made a single tiny stud earring. I had a terrible time photographing it and the photo below at least shows the scale. A 2mm CZ is tube set in sterling. I'm quite pleased with how it turned out and have several more colours in the works.

Stacking rings

Made these last weekend - a dainty stacking ring set with CZ and sterling silver. About a size 6.

Purple agate

I have not made much since my life was packed away in boxes last summer. This weekend I made a simple pair of fused earrings (not photographed, sorry) and this beauty. I made it for myself but unfortunately it turned out about half a size too big. I'm wearing it anyway.

YOJ weeks 24 and 25

Week 24
Simple carnelian ring. Bezel set oval stone on a slightly hammered wire band.


Week 25
It is a bit of a miracle that this piece turned out. It started as a casual "wonder if I can bezel set this pearl". Once I had the bezel in hand I was driven to add the wire border out of admiration for Deborah (Sneakbead)'s pieces using a similar technique. I figured out lots of things to do differently next time. Then, at the last minute, I realized the bezel wasn't high enough to hold the pearl. Luckily I was able to cut out the back of the pendant which reduced the height of the pearl enough that I could set it. I like this - there will be more.